Heartening Moment Brown Bear And Two Cubs Released Into Wild After A Decade In Captivity

Sep 22, 2020 by apost team

A brown bear, Dasha, and her two cubs, Coco and Luka, from Armenia, owe their freedom to Laurence Holyoak of Berlin, who rescued them after ten years in captivity. Dasha and male bear, Misha, were saved in October 2017.

Along the mountains in newly released photos, you can see Dasha and her two cubs racing and enjoying their new home. Dasha had been held captive for more than a decade in Armenia, as The Daily Mail reports. She lived in a cramped cage that was half-submerged underwater to entice tourists. The Syrian brown bear spent most of her time in a tiny, dirty cell, climbing the metal bars to escape the uninhabitable conditions. Together with another brown bear, they lived their entire lives entertaining customers.

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Armenia is notorious for the practice of seizing and taming bears, according to International Animal Rescue (IAR). Although there is progress in many sectors in the country, animal rights are yet to be implemented. The Daily Mail highlighted the plight of the bears held in the cages, and readers made donations.

Dasha, along with Misha who sadly died while in transit, were traumatized and malnourished. In October 2017, IAR coordinated with the Federation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC) to rescue Dasha, the female bear.

Dasha surprised the rescuers when she conceived two cubs on her journey to recovery. At first, the rescuers thought that Dasha had become ill, but they later realized that she was pregnant. A little head appeared first, and the rescuers realized that she had twins. It was the happy ending that the rescuers had hoped for.

Dasha had endured years of deprivation and misery in the submerged cafe. Today, she enjoys freedom in nature. The cubs were born in a natural environment and did not start life in a cage. When she was saved in October 2017, Dasha had a matted coat and was underweight. Before hibernating for winter, the Syrian brown bear received veterinary treatment. She gave birth to the two cubs in March 2018, reports The Daily Mail.

After the rescue, the bears were housed in a room with minimal human interaction. It was a critical step for the bears to survive in the Armenian hills. During the relocation, Dasha, Luka, and Coco were first sedated and were then taken to the mountains in individual transport crates. The three cages were unlocked instantaneously, and Dasha and Luka were the first to race to the mountains. Coco was still in the cage, and Dasha darted back and lingered until Coco caught up with Luka.

Dasha and her cubs are fitted with GPS collar monitors to keep track of their movements. The GPS monitors also help in fetching data on bears that have been brought back to nature. The data is invaluable for planning future release operations. Sightings of captured bears are familiar in the country. You can spot caged bears in shopping centers, train stations, and even beside restaurants.

According to rescuers, many captive bears suffer from frustration and boredom. To get rid of this looming depression, they pace endlessly in their cages. The bears also hit their heads and climb the cage bars. Holyoak continues to address the plight of the caged bears. She works to return the bears to their natural environment.

Since the successful rescue of the bears, IAR launched a project, The Great Bear Rescue, whose aim is to free most of the caged bears in the country. Bears should not suffer in cages. Instead, they should enjoy the freedom nature intended.

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